Based on a presentation by Ann Louise Gittleman in New York, NY—10/1/2001

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to fighting disease and living a healthy lifestyle. For many, however, just achieving a healthy weight is challenging. The program outlined in my book, The Fat Flush Plan, has proven itself not only as a successful and healthful way to lose weight, but to do so in a practical and achievable way.

Once dubbed the "Internet Miracle Diet," I introduced the plan's initial phase to the iVillage.com community five years ago. Fat Flush has continued to be one of the most popular interactive messaging boards in the history of the company. Included are menus, recipes (more of which are available in my follow-up book, Fat Flush Plan Cookbook), shopping lists, dining-out tips, and a maintenance and lifestyle eating regimen.

Although the title certainly connotes and targets weight loss, the results go far beyond loss of pounds and inches. The book illustrates personal accounts from men and women of all ages who followed the recommendations and typically reported also having lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improved quality of skin, hair and nails, stabilized mood swings, relief from depression, anxiety, and
enhanced self esteem and self confidence.

The book primarily offers a strategy clinically tested over 15 years to accelerate fat loss from the most stubborn areas—the hips, thighs, and buttocks, and does so without harsh stimulants like Ephedra, caffeine, or aspirin. The plan does this
by incorporating key elements that trigger both fat and weight loss safely and simply. These elements include a daily supply of:

Flaxseed oil at mealtimes, added to provide the "satiety factor," which revs up the metabolism, stops hunger, and puts an end to the fatigue and deprivation that can make you tempted to cheat on your diet.

Flax seeds, which in their whole, ground form can be used as a fiber source to bind up fat and transport it out of the system. As a source of plant sterols, they also boost immune function.

Daily conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for the lifestyle phase—in a 90-day, double-blind trial in Norway, participants showed a stunning 20 percent decrease in body fat. CLA has recently been found to protect the body from depositing regained weight as fat to an impressive degree.

The plan features a number of other unusual aspects not found in other weight loss regimens. Like eggs and meat, for example. Eggs—especially the yolks—are included for each of the plan's phases because they provide the highest concentration of sulphur-bearing amino acids so vital for the liver's ability to burn fats effectively. In 1999, The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study which tracked nearly 40,000 men and 80,000 women over a period of eight years and found there was no link between egg consumption and coronary heart disease risk.

Beef is in the menu plan because it is the highest dietary source of an incredibly effective thermogenic nutrient— l-carnitine, which transports fat into muscle cells so it can be burned, especially when the body is already in a fat-burning mode.

Lots of colorful and phytonutrient-rich veggies and moderate fresh fruits are included on a daily basis. A special cleansing drink highlighting unsweetened cranberry juice and fiber is part of the daily routine. Cranberry juice is one of my secret weapons against cellulite because of its ability to emulsify the fatty globules in the lymphatic system—the garbage collector of the body, which transports all kinds of waste products and fats not processed by the liver from the blood to the cells.

The only herbs and spices allowed in the plan are those with proven thermogenic and diuretic capabilities, like cayenne, mustard, cinnamon, parsley, and others.

Special sections of the book include a chapter describing the importance of rituals, highlighting journaling. An exercise program is also included in this section and supports the idea that "less may be more," when used in conjunction with a program like this. Bouncing, brisk walking, stretching, and balanced resistance training help provide balance as you move through the various diet phases.

I invite each and every one of you to explore The Fat Flush Plan. It can be used as a stand-alone weight loss/cleansing program or to kick off any other weight loss program of your choice. Whenever you are ready, the plan is here for YOU.

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